Finishing the Fairytale
by Sakura Namida
Summary: Just a quick little one-shot that gives a little look at how Yugi could be after Atem leaves for the afterlife. No pairings.


**Disclaimer: **If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh...well, the series wouldn't have ended like it did, and this new Yu-Gi-Oh 5d's would never have even made it off the drawing board. (Not trying to insult or upset anyone, I'm just stating an...opinon/fact)

A/N: This is just a quick little short story I wrote one day, because I thought that more needed to be said about the ending,and about what happened after Atem left for the afterlife. I tried to write a portion of it in Atem's POV, but it didn't really work out. I'm gonna keep trying though, and if it eventually does succeed, I'll add it too. Anyway, enjoy this short little one-shot about Yugi after Atem leaves.

* * *

I suppose the saying is true. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For Yugi Moto, his true journey, the one unaccompanied, began the day the brave Pharaoh Atem finally passed into the afterlife.

They also say that time heals all wounds, and so this saying too is true, however, the passage of time is also a journey.

(**City of Domino: present time**)

**Yugi Moto:**

Shouts of "King of Games!" and "the World's Number One Duelist" rang out across the jam packed arena. Film crews and roaring fans alike had gathered in this one single place to witness once again the incredible exploits of the King of Games.

Being the Modest character he was, Yugi took the fame in stride, managing to hide the blush effectively. Despite having experienced this exact same scenario on several occasions, Yugi still found it hard to cope with all the attention and publicity.

He enjoyed his dueling competitions more so now than ever, finding them entertaining more than anything else. Of course, no longer having the added pressure of dueling for his life, and the lives of all humanity, obviously lifted a hefty weight from his shoulders. Yugi had enjoyed his time saving the world. Not for the limelight, as some would believe, but simply because he knew that he had made a difference. He, and Atem, had made a difference.

So strange it seems, to have met someone who you know so completely, his every thought, and then suddenly, just as you're getting to know him, he's gone. Someone who, perhaps, unknowingly, changed the lives of everyone he met for the better.

Yugi, like everyone else, had his doubts, but, when it came to the Pharaoh, he had none. The spirit who had shared his body and mind for so long had altered his life in ways that were most certainly for the better. Atem altered his life in ways that made him the person he was today. Without the Pharaoh, Yugi knew, he would not be king of Games, and he likely would not have all the incredible friends he now had.

Since the day Atem left, time has flowed on, stopping its relentless march for no man. Minutes became hours became days became months, and soon, a whole year will have passed since that fateful day.

Whenever he found the time, Yugi often thought of his closest friend, wondering how he faired in the afterlife. He still missed him, the wound was still fresh, but, time heals all wounds. The pain would cease, the good memories and the necessary lessons learned live on.

Atem had been a model for Yugi, someone he would strive to be like, and now, Yugi understood, it was his time to become a model for the next generation. It was time for him to take up the mantle of leadership, and guide the generation to come.

With his memories, his friends, and his good heart, Yugi looked happily to tomorrow. His footsteps were sure and confident, they radiated a power and authority imparted to him by his greatest friend.

As he exited the arena, amid the cheers and cries of the crowd, he smiled and gave his faithful fans a final parting gesture. A thumbs up, a simple gesture that, to the King of Games, sang of so much. It's strange, he realized, how much that single gesture really meant to him.

Bright sunlight filled his eyes and he smiled, walking confidently into the future.


End file.
